Travel Course Scholarships

Travel Course Scholarships aim to reduce the extent to which cost plays a role in a student’s decision about whether to participate. These scholarships are funded through the generosity of the MCLA Foundation and individual donors.

Award amounts vary depending on the number of eligible applicants each year. Most scholarships cover only part of the trip costs, although there are typically one or more full scholarships awarded each year. The total funding available for each academic year is divided proportionately among eligible travel courses. The Travel Course Scholarship Advisory Group then determines individual recipients and scholarship amounts. The selection process is primarily merit-based, with financial need considered secondarily.

Scholarship Eligibility & Selection Criteria

• Full-time student in good academic standing.
• Instructor permission to participate in the course.
• Preference will be given to students with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Students with a lower GPA are still welcome to apply.
• Preference will be given to students with sophomore, junior or senior status. First-year students are still welcome to apply.
• Preference will be given to students who have not previously received an MCLA Travel Course Scholarship. Previous scholarship recipients are still welcome to apply.
• Preference will be given to students who demonstrate a strong commitment to travel learning and the potential for significant scholarly and personal growth through the academic travel experience.

Application Requirements

All applicants must complete the Scholarship Application Form as part of the application process.

Scholarship Application

All applications also require the following:

1. Two letters of recommendation from MCLA faculty. Faculty refers to those who teach credit-bearing classes at MCLA. Ideally, the letter writer should have taught you in one or more classes. Letters from coaches, work-study supervisors or other MCLA staff and administrators who do not teach classes will not be considered. Your letter writers will receive an email prompt to complete their letters after you complete Part 1 of the online application, which includes space to provide your letter writers’ information. Transfer students in their first semester at MCLA may use recommendation letters from either MCLA faculty or faculty from their previous institution.
2. A travel course essay responding to the prompts for the relevant travel course.

ENVI 355: Everglades and South Florida

Applicants for the Travel Course Scholarship who hope to enroll in ENVI 355 must write an essay of 600-700 words addressing the following questions:

1. Why are you interested in participating in this course and traveling to South Florida?
2. Describe your experiences and/or interests in exploring ecosystems outside of New England.
3. What do you hope to gain from participating in this course?

TRVL 300: Brazil Travel Course

Applicants for the Travel Course Scholarship who hope to enroll in TRVL 300 must write an essay of 600-700 words addressing the following questions:

1. How would participating in a travel course help you achieve your professional or personal goals?
2. Why are you interested in traveling to Brazil in particular?
3. What about Brazil are you most interested in learning about during the on-campus portion of this course?

All application materials for Spring 2027 Travel Course Scholarships must be received no later than Tuesday, Oct. 13. Please give your faculty recommendation letter writers plenty of advance notice by asking them to provide a recommendation and completing Part 1 of the application well in advance of the Oct. 13 deadline.

Travel Course Scholarships are made possible through the MCLA Foundation and Student Financial Services. The Travel Course Scholarship Advisory Group is currently made up of Dave Cupery, Anthony Daly, Anne Goodwin, En-Ting Hsu, Kailai Huang, Anna Jaysane-Darr, Rachel Maselli, Richard Sabbia and Dan Shustack.